David Cameron: Milly Dowler phone hacking allegation ‘shocking’

David Cameron has labelled claims that murdered teenager Milly Dowler’s mobile phone was hacked by a private investigator working for News of the World as ‘quite, quite shocking’, saying that if the allegations were true it was a ‘truly dreadful act’.

Murdered teenager Milly Dowler (Pic: PA)

British Prime Minister David Cameron speaks at a news conference in Kabul today

The Prime Minister called on police to launch a full investigation into allegations that Glenn Mulcaire

working on behalf of the newspaper intercepted Milly’s voicemail messages while police were trying to trace her in 2002.

Parents Sally and Bob Dowler said they had been given ‘false hope’ their daughter could still be alive after the messages were deleted to make room for more in the days after she disappeared.

Addressing the allegations, Mr Cameron said: ‘If they are true, this is a truly dreadful act and a truly dreadful situation.

‘What I have read in the papers is quite, quite shocking – that someone could do this, knowing that the police were trying to find this person and trying to find out what had happened.’

He urged police to investigate the claims ‘vigorously’, saying: ‘They should feel that they should investigate this without any fear, without favour, without any worry about where the evidence should lead.’

Speaking in Kabul in a joint news conference with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, the PM insisted he would not intervene in a bid by News of the World’s publishers – Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation – to take a majority stake in BSkyB.

The Dowler family are now suing the News of the World over the claims.

Mark Lewis, the Dowler’s solicitor, said the ‘heinous’ and ‘despicable’ actions could have jeopardised the police probe into her disappearance.

Milly’s parents were were contacted by Scotland Yard in April over the hacking allegations – a months before Levi Bellfield stood trial for her murder.

Bellfield, 43, was given a second whole-life jail term last month for 13-year-old Milly’s murder.

News International said the allegations were of ‘great concern’ and it would be conducting its own inquiry.